New Greater Washington Partnership aims high

The CEO of the newly-formed Greater Washington Partnership faces a significant list of challenges from affordable housing to transportation problems.

Originally founded by a group of businesses and foundations to bring the Olympics to the area, Jason Miler has plans to help the D.C. region’s economy continue to grow.

“It was really about, we as a region have some big challenges, and by creating the forcing function of a moment where the eyes of the world are on this region, we can get some big things done,” said Miller.

“It’s the first time that really, you have this level of engagement from the most senior levels of the business community across the region,” Miller told What’s Working in Washington.

The main issues facing the region include transportation, human capital, innovation and entrepreneurship, and global identity, and require this sort of cross-regional commitment,” Miller said.

“You have to get three separate jurisdictions rowing in the same direction, and not constantly changing which approach they make… those are multi-year issues,” he said.

Since all of these projects improve each part of the region, every institution that works together in the partnership has their own incentive.
Despite the challenge of coordinating an entire region to solve problems, Miller jumped at the opportunity to help the region.

“If [the problems facing the region] weren’t hard, somebody would have solved them already, and frankly, that’s what gets me up in the morning,” he said.